I want to set up a keg system in my house but just dont have the room for a 2nd fridge inside. I would like to put it outside in a garage area and run the tap line into the house. The garage is attached. The run will be about 10 feet. I was thinking of coiling 25' of copper tubing in the freezer and wrapping the beer lines with insinuation with the copper to the house. So there will be 25' of tubing in the freezer and 20' in the run with the beer lines. Running through the copper will be water attached to a pump to recurclate the water. Will this work?? Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas on what they have done in this situation. Will I need a longer line IN the freezer to chill the water.--Thanks Frank

At first glance this looks like it would work, but you have to consider what happens when the temperature of the cooling water increases along the run. The premise behind draft line cooling is that when the beer exits the tap it is at the exact same temperature that it was when it was in the cooler. To do this requires that the cooling water temperature be LOWER than the beer temperature. This way when the cooling fluid warms up along the run it only rises to the temperature of the beer coming out of the tap. If this is not done the CO2 begins to come out of solution and voila'.... foam!!!

An idea.... does the fridge have a freezer ? If it does, put the coil in the freezer instead. Set the temp for the freezer by running the water through the coil, into your house and check the temperature of the water exiting the loop at the tower. Adjust it until it matches the beer temperature in your fridge. If you can't set the freezer high enough in temperature, jump out the thermostat and put a refrigeration stat in line (~$25). They are far more adjustable. BTW... get some food grade polyprop. glycol to add to the water. It will prevent freezing and if you have to it can allow you to set the temp. <32 deg. F.

Another detail... if you can, when you put your insulated snake together, make sure to wrap the copper with the cooling medium in it around all the lines... don't simply put it in. If you don't you will have temperature variation problems in the line that will create foam problems with some of the beers. Also, this protects the beers that have been on-line when you add a new one at a warmer temperature from having temporary foaming problems while the new beer equalizes.